Can opener



Feb. 9, 1937. H. L.. DAzEY GAN OPENER Filed March 15, 195s Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES CAN OPENER Harry L. Dazey, St. Louis, Mo.,

Churn & Manufacturing Co., St.

assignor to Dazey Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application March 15, 1935, Serial No. 11,215

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to can openers and more particularly to can openers of the type embodying a cutting element and a rotating feeding device which operates to move the can to cause a wall 5 thereof to be severed by the cutting clement. The

can opener herein described and claimed provides cert/ain improvements in the device which is set forth in my copending application filed August 16, 1934, Serial No. 740,098.

An object of this invention resides in the provision of a can opener having improved operating characteristics, such improvements being especially directed to ease and facility of manipulation and to the elimination or substantial reduction of metal particles or shearings heretofore unavoidably produced by the cutting element. Obviously, the production of such shearings is highly undesirable particularly in connection with the opening of cans containing foodstuff.

20 The foregoing object is attained in the present device by the provision of a cutting element or blade which, normally held in a predetermined cutting position, is adapted to turn or rock when it encounters a can portion that presents an obstacle in the blade path, and adjusts itself to a position whereby it may readily pass around the obstacle instead of shearing or cutting through the same. In cans of conventional construction the longitudinal vseam provides an obstruction to the blade, and when the blade of an ordinary can opener encounters this seam, the device becomes stalled, whereupon an increased manipulative effort is required to continue the can opening operation. If there is sufficient traction between the feed wheel and can so that no slipping takes place, the obstructing portion of the seam becomes sheared or shaved, the shavings dropping into the contents of the can. This condition is avoided in the device of the present invention by the provision of 4a blade which is arranged to pivot or turn about an axis longitudinal of the blade. The blade, after encountering vthe obstruction, is cammed or canted thereby from its normal position to an angular position in which the blade is readily adapted to pass -around the obstruction. The advantages of the presently described self-adjusting blade are also evidenced when the device is used to open a square-shaped can, the corner portions of which are especially difficult to cut by prevailing types of can openers. Another object of this invention resides in the provision oi an improved self-adjusting blade in combination with means for moving a can rela- 55 tive to the blade and means for holding the can in position for proper operation thereon by the blade.

These and other objects and'advantages are attained by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein, for purposes of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of myinvention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to the showing of Fig. 2, illustrating parts of the device as disposed for operation on a can, a fragment of which is shown; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the blade housing; and Figs. 5 and 6 are sections taken at line 5-5 of Fig. 3 illustrating the manner in which the blade moves to allow it .to pass a seam or other internal projection of the can without cutting through the same.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, in Fig. 1 the operating parts of the can opener are shown mounted on a support in the form of an elongated sheet metal arm I which is adapted to be secured by suitable means indidicated generally at II to a wall or other supporting structure. The means by which member I0 is fastened to the supporting structure forms no part of the present invention and accordingly will not be described in detail.

The member I0 is provided at its lower outer margin with a downwardly projecting portion which is bent outwardly to form a horizontal flange I2 which is adapted to contact the side of the can as shown in Fig. 3. The flange I2 serves to stabilize, or prevent undue vibration of the can during the operation of the device.

Describing now the means for supporting and moving the can relative to the cutting element, vthe supporting arm ID is provided with a circular opening located above the flange I2, in which opening is journalled the forward end of a cylindrical bushing or hub I3, the forward end surface of said hub lying flush with the so-called front side of the member I0. The hub I3 is formed with an annular flange I4 which is conned between member I0 and the outwardly dished portion I5 of a, plate IB secured at the back side of member I0, the hub I3 projecting through an opening in the said dished portion of plate I6 and carrying a manipulating handle Il for rotating the hub I3. A toothed disc or feed wheel I8 is secured to one end of a shaft I9, journalled in and extending through the hub I3 in off-center relation thereto, a crank 20 for actuby reason of the engagement of said lug withhandle I1 when the latter is disposed 'as' shown;

ating the shaft I9 being secured in a suitable manner to the said shaft.

It will now appear that movement of the handle I1 through an are of 180 degrees causes the feed wheel I8 to be shifted toward or from the pointed end of a cutting element 2| mounted above the feed wheel. In Fig. 2 the feed wheel is shown disposed in its lowermost positionv whereby its .upper surface is spaced downwardly from the pointed end of the element 2|. When so disposed the feed wheel is adapted to have the external bead of a can seated thereon. By turning the handle I1 through one-half revolutionthe feed wheel is shifted, displacing the can upwardly and causing its top wall to be punctured bythe cutting element, as appears in Fig. 3. Lugs, not

the handle I1 when disposed in the position shown in Fig. 2, and another of'such, lugs determines the uppermost position of the feed-wheel in Fig. 3.

In accordancewiththis invention, .means are provided for holding the can bead in pressure engagement with the feed wheel when`r that eleelongated sheet metal arm 22 disposed horizon-- tally and iiatwise upon member above the feed t A pin :I1 carried by and extending between ears' engage and bear upon the upper edge ofthe c an bead. Upward pivotal movement of arm 22 is opposed by the action of spring 26, compressed between an ear 21 struck from member I0, andthe flange 25. This spring-is held in place byv means of studs carried by the ear 21 and flange 25, which studs project into the ends of the spring.

Describing now the cutting element land improved mounting arrangement thereof, the-`cut ting element is supported within an elongated housing formed of sheet metal and comprising a back wall 28, spaced side walls 29, top wall3ll,

The back wa1l,28 of the housand front wall 3|. ing lies iiatly against the base plate I0. and is secured thereto, in the present example, by a rivet 32 and a lfiat-headed screw 33, the head portion .34 of the said screw' providing an abutment for the cutting element or blade 2|, as shown in Fig. 2. The front wall 3| has lugs 35, (Fig. 1),

projecting from opposite side edges thereof, which lugs are seated upon forwardly projecting ears' 36 at the lower forward edges of side walls 29.

36 serves to fasten the front wall 3| to the side walls of the housing.

'Ehe blade 2| is disposed vertically in the housing and projects downwardly through the open lower end thereof. The bladel is provided at its- 'upper end with a longitudinally projecting finger 38 which fits loosely in asuitable opening formed in the upper wall 30 of the housing. By reason of the loose connection between` upper wall 30- and finger 38, the blade is adapted for swivelling movement, which term is intended to cover a.

turningmovement ofthe blade about its longitudinal or vertical axis," as will be understood by comparing the blade positions of Figs. 5 and 6, and also an outward swinging movement of its lower or cutting end, as shown by the relative blade positions of Figs. 2 and 3. A coil spring 39 provides a yieldable, resilient support for blade 2|, the Asaid spring being disposed on coaxial studs 40 on the blade 2| and front wall 3|. 'I'he spring 39 normally forces the blade against the abutment 34 as shown in Fig. 2, yet permits the blade to yield, or otherwise adjust itself when it encounters an internal obstruction or irregularity such as the longitudinal internal seam of the can, so as to ride or pass around rather than cut through the said obstruction.

The operation of my improved can opener is 1 believed to be obvious from the foregoing descripshown, projecting laterally from plate I6 form abutments for handle I1 and limit its-range-of turning movement to substantially 180`degrees... One of such lugs is arranged to be' engaged by tion, but for purposes of completeness may be described as follows: The handle lisinitially swung to the position shown in Fig. 2 which causes the `feed wheel, by reason'of its eccentric mounting onv hub |3,to` be disposed with its lupper periphery spaced below the pointed end of the blade 2|. 'I'he can is then applied to the opener with its vertical .1 wheel. vThe' handle .|1is next swung'to the position shown in Fig. 3 to elevate the can andcause its upper horizontal wall to be punctured by the blade 2|, the marginal bead'engaging the yieldable abutment 25 and being pressed thereby against the toothed surface of the feed wheel. Now by turning crank 20 the can rotates bodily and the top thereof is sheared as it makes a complete 'revolution From Figs. 5 and 6 itwill appear that when the leading edge of the blade encounters an obstruction, such as an internally projectngseam portion, it wil be 'cammed outwardly, the blade-assuming an angular position, whereby it is readily adapted to ride over the said obstruction with little or no increased resistance to the'operating force applied to handle 20.

The device of thepresent invention operates in an improvedmanner on vcans having substantially square or slightly/rounded corners, this by reason ofthe Vfact that the blade, when encountering the corner portionof a square can, adjusts itself angularly toa positionin which it v.can most readily pass the said corner portion.

'I'he inventionhasbeen described with reference-to a single, presently preferred embodiment thereof. It should be understood. however that the invention is not limited to any one particular embodiment except'as thevsame is'fairly defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a can opener includinga base plate and a feed wheel for moving a can relative to the base plate, an arm projecting` from the base plate above 'basermeniben an arm projecting from the base member'above the feed wheel, a substantially at.

elongated blade element having Aits longitudinal `axis projecting downwardly from said arm toward the feed wheel, means forming a swivel connection between saidblade element and arm whereby the lower cutting end of the blade is permitted to swing outwardly away from the feed wheel and Il.

the blade is also permitted to turn about its longitudinal axis, and a spring disposed yieldingly to resist movement of the blade element. Y

3. A lcan opener comprising a base plate, a feed wheel mounted on one side of the base plate, a blade housing projecting laterally from the base plate above the feed wheel, a blade having a vertical axis disposed in said housing andprojecting through the lower end thereof toward the axis of said feed Wheel, and a spring in said housing which provides a flexible mounting for the blade and normally maintains the same parallel to the feed Wheel, said blade being adapted to rock angularly about its vertical -axis against pressure from said spring.

4. `A can opener comprising a base plate, a feed wheel mounted on one side of the base plate, a blade housing projecting laterally from the base plate above the feed wheel, a vertical blade in the housing projecting through the lower end thereof toward the axis of said feed wheel, means pivotally connecting the-upper end of said blade to the upper Wall of said housing wherebythe blade is adapted to turn about a vertical axis therethrough, and a spring connected between said blade and a wall of said housing adapted yieldingvly to oppose turning movement of the blade as aforesaid.

on the base plate, a yieldable pressure member disposed to bear upon the upper end of a can and.

force the same into operative engagement with the feed wheel, a blade housing secured to the base plate in overlying relation to the feed wheel, a blade projecting through the bottom of said housing, adapted to overlap the outer end face of the feed wheel, and a spring in said housing providing a flexible carrier for said blade.

6. In a can opener including a base plate, a feed Wheel mounted for rotary and shifting movement on the base plate, a yieldable pressure member disposed to bear upon the upper end of a can and force the same into operative engagement with the feed wheel, a blade housing projecting from the base plate above the feed wheel, a blade element projecting downwardly through the bottom of said housing, terminating in a can-piercing and cutting portion which overlaps the outer end face of the feed wheel when the latter is shifted to operating position, means forming a swivel connection between the upper end of the blade element and the top Wall of the housing, and spring means in said housing adapted yieldingly to maintain the blade in a predetermined 'cutting position.

HARRY L. DAZEY. 

